


You Called Me Dimitri

by LancePuns



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Childhood Friends, Feral Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, no beta we die like Glenn, only for one chapter though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:47:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LancePuns/pseuds/LancePuns
Summary: A collection of moments where the Prince of the Kingdom of Faerghus was called by name by each of his Blue Lion classmates during the events of the game.
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	1. Mercedes

**Author's Note:**

> One day, I realized how little the Blue Lions refer to Dimitri by his first name and instead call him "Your Highness". Thinking about how dehumanizing that can be to an already very broken individual, I decided to write this to show how much he appreciates his friends.

As the sun rises over the walls and towers of Garreg Mach, the lone prince sits in the dining hall. The blond arrived at the monastery last week ahead of the upcoming semester, hopeful that he could get used to the space he would be living in for the next year as he enrolled in the Officers Academy. There were only a couple of days before the semester was to start, and most of the students were here by now, meaning he’d had a chance to see a few of his fellow Blue Lions. 

He arrived at the Officers Academy with Dedue, so seeing him every day was no surprise, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid all enrolled. Of course, it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise to see Ingrid here, for how much she desired to be a knight growing up, but he was happy to see his childhood friends here with him. He had seen two of the other three - two girls, one with shorter, curly, orange hair and the other with long, butter blonde hair that was tied and rested over her shoulder and down her front. They would often dine together and seemed like wonderful friends, and the prince had believed they likely knew one another outside of the academy and wished he was as close as they were with his own friends. 

Unfortunately, the tragedy had broken them apart, and as much as they all try to be friends still, there’s a lot of open wounds between the four of them that need time yet to close and heal.

The prince had arrived in the dining hall, gotten his breakfast, and just begun eating when he saw someone stand behind the seat opposite of him. He finished chewing, swallowed, and sighed, “Dedue, I appreciate that you’d like to have breakfast with me, but I would like to be treated as any other person here”, he said, taking another bite of his breakfast.

“‘As any other person’? Does that mean you  _ are  _ Prince Dimitri?”

Dimitri nearly choked on his food. That was not Dedue’s voice, which was deep and stern, but a light, airy voice that he would describe as angelic. He looked up once he swallowed and saw the blonde-haired girl he would often see sitting with the orange-haired girl. “Yes, I am. And what might your name be?” Dimitri looked around subtly, noticing that her redhead friend seemed to be nowhere in sight.

The girl smiled and responded, “My name is Mercedes von Martritz. May I dine with you? My friend usually has meals with me, but she seems to have slept in today.”

Dimitri nodded and continued eating, unable to find any words to say at the moment. Mercedes sat down in front of him, bowed her head with her hands clasped together for a moment in what Dimitri would only assume to be a prayer before beginning her meal. They ate in silence for several minutes, the prince unsure what to say. He recalled hearing that House Martritz had been destroyed, so he wanted to ask her connection to the house, but thought it too forward as they had only just met. 

Instead, Dimitri reflected on his tone with her when he believed Dedue was the presence in front of him. 

“I apologize for assuming you were my friend and seeming a bit hostile. He means well, but he has a tendency to follow me around and do everything he can to ensure my happiness. Sometimes it’s nice, but other times it gets to be too much.” 

The prince wasn’t sure what to expect, but he was surprised to hear, “I understand. I think it’s reasonable that you want to be just like everyone else while here. Being stuck in the palace with everyone always treating you like you’re the only person in the world...I couldn’t imagine how tiring that could be.” Mercedes said after she finished her bite. She took another bite before speaking once again. “Say, Dimitri, would you like to join Annette and I for a meal every so often? I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

The prince blinked. Did he hear her correctly? It almost sounded like she called him by just his name. That couldn’t be the case. Maybe his hearing was going, or he had imagined it. “Apologies, I must have misheard you. What did you call me?”

Mercedes seemed slightly confused, bowing her head apologetically as she responded, “I’m sorry, I assumed that when you said you wanted to be treated like anyone else would be, you also wanted to be called by your given name. I did not mean to offend you.”

Dimitri inwardly scolded himself for not being clear as he shook his head with a smile. “Oh, no, that is quite alright. I would prefer to be called by my name rather than my title, to be sure. Thank you for honoring that request.”

Taking a deep sigh of relief, the priestess nodded as her bright smile returned upon her face. “Of course! I’d rather have a friend be comfortable than not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm already a couple of chapters ahead, so I might post the next chapter over the weekend. If not, expect that early next week. See you then!
> 
> Upcoming: Chapter 2, Sylvain


	2. Sylvain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sylvain rushes in to the prince's dorm and begs for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working on this quite a bit during the weekend, so here's the next chapter a bit early! Enjoy~

It had only been a couple of months since Professor Byleth had been appointed as the instructor of the Blue Lions for the year, but in that time, the prince had come to the conclusion that with his help, perhaps it was possible that he and his friends could truly connect again. They hadn’t since the Tragedy of Duscur had torn their lives apart. Or, at least, he had struggled to reconnect with Sylvain, Ingrid, and, most of all, Felix. 

He had seen times where Sylvain had seemed to get in a good, genuine rhythm with Ingrid and Felix. They fought side by side as well as many talented knights had, such as the one time he saw Jeralt and Byleth fight together, or the times he had seen Shamir and Catherine the Thunderbrand when they visited the kingdom throughout the years.

There was still a hint of hostility between Ingrid and Felix sometimes, however, likely due to their shared loss in the Tragedy. Sylvain seemed to be the one bringing them back together, whether it was Ingrid trying to keep him out of trouble, or Felix sparring with him. And that made him both happy and disappointed. Happy that his friends were finally at least trying to come to good terms, but sad that they seem to have left him completely out of it. He was partially to blame; he was never any good at conversation and would often say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Maybe they were better without him.

He thought that was true until Sylvain opened his door and closed it quickly, locking the door.

“Your Highness! Pardon the intrusion, but you’ve gotta help me here. Ingrid is going to kill me if she finds me!”

The prince had seen this sort of panic in Sylvain’s eyes before. Back when they were little and Sylvain did something ridiculous and stupid to annoy Felix or Ingrid the way he liked to do so, but had gone too far and needed help getting out of it, he would often run to the room of the prince and desperately ask for help. Thanks to that, he was often the diplomat to calm the angered friend down after scolding the offender.

With a sigh and a hand to the bridge of his nose, the house leader asked, “Sylvain, what did you do? Why are you running from Ingrid?”

Sylvain gulped and stepped away from the door, watching it intently as he whispered his response. “I found a sweet bun on one of the tables in the dining hall. It was on a plate on one of the tables, completely unoccupied. You know how I like those, so I decided I’d take the last one,” he explained, trying to get his friend on his side. Unfortunately, the prince already knew where this was going.

“You didn’t…” the house leader, in vain, doubted.

“It was delicious! But Ingrid walked back to that table and saw me eating the last bite and she looked like she was going to kill me!” Sylvain tried to defend himself, panic and volume growing as he tried to keep a whisper.

The house leader sighed and shook his head, putting a hand on his face before nodding. “Alright, I’ll help you, but you really shouldn’t eat food that you don’t know where it came from,” the prince said, and as he saw Sylvain open his mouth to retort, he added, “even if you enjoy the food!”

Sylvain groaned quietly to himself but nodded, “Sure, fine, I won’t! Now get her to not kill me, Dimitri!”

This caused Dimitri to stop momentarily. Sylvain used his real name. Just like back when they were children and this sort of situation would pop up. Sylvain was talking to the Dimitri who was his classmate. The Dimitri that would get him out of a bad situation with their friends. The Dimitri who was his lifelong friend. Not Dimitri the Prince of the Kingdom of Faerghus.

With that, Dimitri nodded with determination and unlocked the door to talk with Ingrid, looking back as he closed the door with a smile at Sylvain. “I will save you, my friend. Just stay here for now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've got 4 chapters done, so I'm currently 2 chapters ahead! Sylvain's was pretty fun to write, he's one of the easier characters for me to slip into a rhythm for. He's definitely one of the most easy-going people in the BL, so making him go second felt right. The third chapter will probably come by Wednesday, I want to get ahead of the posting a little bit more just in case something comes up in the near future that prevents me from writing effectively.
> 
> Upcoming: Chapter 3, Annette


	3. Annette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth assigns everyone partners for axe training this week. Before they begin, Annette and Dimitri have short a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is probably the most difficult one to write simply because I struggled to come up with a good idea for it. It's done now, though! 
> 
> I expect I'll be done with this fic by the end of next week, so here's hoping!

The prince had never been good at using axes, but the professor had asked that everyone train a little bit in everything. They had explained that having a basic knowledge of how to use every weapon and a little bit of magic would help in scramble situations. They also explained these situations were unlikely to occur at any point, but if there was a weapon nearby and someone was trying to kill them, it’d be best to at least have an idea how to use that weapon than being armed with an unfamiliar weapon. 

And, as there were a number of decent axe wielders in the house, the professor was sure that, if one of their missions had gone wrong and there wasn’t a preferred weapon nearby, there would likely be an axe lying around somewhere. Plus, with the Battle of the Eagle and Lion on the horizon, the professor figured that having the basics of each weapon down would be best. With that in mind, they had sent out the class in pairs to work on axes. The house leader was paired with the heir of House Dominic.

Annette Fantine Domonic was an interesting individual, the blond had discovered over the school year. She was the orange haired girl he had seen eating with Mercedes before the academy had officially started, so he had assumed that she was just as calm and sweet as Mercedes. He was incorrect. Although she was certainly sweet, she was scatterbrained and energetic, quite the contrary to Mercedes. Perhaps that was why they made such good friends.

While her focus was primarily in magic, she was often given an axe as a backup for close quarters combat. The prince had wondered why that was, so as they stepped into the training area, he decided to ask, “Apologies if this is forward of me, Annette, but why does the professor give you axes?” he asked, grabbing one of the training axes from the rack.

The mage’s eyes lit up as he asked, and the prince hoped she wasn’t about to go onto one of her long winded explanations she often got into when she talked about something she enjoyed. “Oh! Well, I’m not great with most axes, but my family’s relic is Crusher,” she explained as she grabbed a training axe for herself. “It’s a hammer, or axe, or something, so my family trained me a little bit to prepare me in case I ever needed to use it.”

The explanation made some amount of sense, as he had primarily trained in lances for much the same reason. Areadbhar was a weapon he had been told he’d be entrusted once he ascended the throne, so he understood the feeling of training specifically for a weapon. That didn’t stop his follow up question, “in that case, why do you primarily focus on reason magic? Would it not be more efficient to focus on your axe skills?”

“Well…” Annette started, gripping the training axe a bit tighter, “I was mostly raised by my mother, so I took after her. And since she was a mage, there tended to be a lot of magic books around.” Annette looked away for a moment, humming to herself in thought before sighing. “My father and uncle trained me in axes, and I was never bad at using them, but I was always stronger with my magic.”

“Ah, I understand,” the prince responded, thinking for a moment as he took in her words. “You said something the last time we spoke. Something about seeing me as an older brother…”

Annette’s eyes widened, “H-hey! I apologized already! You can’t make fun of me for it!”

“No, no, that’s not why I brought it up. I thought...well, if that was the case, you should be more casual with me.” The prince smiled warmly at her in hopes of calming her down. “I admire that you want to be respectful, but if we are to be friends, I would prefer you used my name.”

Annette blinked, her face blank before shrugging. “I dunno, I mean...you’re the crowned prince,” she said as she began to think a while longer, internally debating with herself. Eventually, she sighed, “Oh, what the heck, why not? Let’s dance, Dimitri!” she exclaimed, preparing to swing her axe and engage in their duel.

Dimitri smiled as he followed suit, deflecting the blow as their duel began. Annette was a kind and respectful soul, but he had always had difficulty getting her to be casual with him. Perhaps this would be the start of their true friendship. He would have to ask her to tea and talk about her father again some time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this kind of an extension of their C/B support? Yes. Do I particularly care? *John Mulaney voice* NOOOOOO
> 
> Anyway, I hope y'all like feral Dimitri, because he's coming...
> 
> Upcoming, Chapter 4: Ingrid


	4. Ingrid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dimitri is dead. He is only a husk for those passed to have their revenge to use. Ingrid refuses to believe that.

Upon reuniting with his old class, the feral man believed he was to be mocked. Now that the Kingdom’s army was here, and they waited for his orders, the man was often standing in front of the goddess’s statue within the church, begging for a chance at Edelgard’s head. He ate and slept like a wild animal, much to the discomfort of his “allies”. 

There was no reason for these people to help him. He would tear straight through the Imperial Army all on his own without pause if he didn’t also need the bare minimum of survival in order to go through with his revenge plot. So he bided his time, waiting for the moment to strike through their forces. If that meant letting the army protect him while he marched (or charged through) to Edelgard, then he’d take it.

He hadn’t paid attention to most of the people that approached him, but there were a few exceptions. He would talk to the ghosts, Glenn, Dedue and the professor being the most common ghosts he would talk to (though apparently, they were not dead, so they had stopped appearing as a spirit to him). Aside from that, he’d spare a few words for Gustave, mostly orders to leave him be or tell him when they march out. And lastly, he would talk to those who would pester him while he commanded at them to leave him alone.

The most often offender was Ingrid.

She had often brought him food from the dining hall (was that meal something he enjoyed? He couldn’t remember. He didn’t care anymore) and would try to talk to him about events that have passed since he allegedly died.

“Felix, Sylvain, and I have been defending our half of the Kingdom as much as possible. Rodrigue will be happy to hear you’re alive,” she told him, even if he wasn’t paying attention to her words. He just wanted to be left alone to pray. She continued, “We finally became knights, the three of us. Just like we said we would.”

The beast remembered that conversation they had. It was back when Glenn had just been appointed knight. Ingrid, Felix, and Sylvain had all promised they’d join the eldest member of their group to protect the heir of Faerghus. It was before they had been ripped apart by the loss of their dear friend, brother, and fiance. “And what, you think that will appease the dead?”

While he wasn’t looking at her, he could feel the shock she emitted through her voice, “We’re not looking to appease the dead, your highness. We’re looking to help our kingdom.” She walked in front of him, practically forcing him to look at her as she continued, “We’re looking to help you. The Dimitri I know would have done that.” She paused, staring into his lone eye with hope. “Dimitri, you’re still you. We can save the kingdom,” she offered, reaching a hand out as she smiled weakly.

Dimitri snarled. “We will have our revenge on that blasted witch. She’s taken so much from us,” He started, looking down at his empty hand, seeing blood stained on it from the day his best friend died. “Why shouldn’t we kill her where she stands?”

Ingrid’s jaw dropped slightly as she argued, “We can end the war later, but there won’t be a point if we have no kingdom to return to, Dimitri. Why can’t you see that?”

“And why can’t you see that you’re wasting my time?!” He roared as if he truly was the lion. “Get out of my sight.”

The knight took a step back, mouth agape as she began to come to a realization. She took a deep breath, steadying herself and beginning to walk away as she remarked, “What happened to you, Dimitri? This isn’t like you…”

The response came drenched venom that he wasn’t sure he intended, but he hardly cared. “The prince of Faerghus is dead. A mere husk for the souls of those passed to seek their revenge on those who stole their lives.”

He never heard her respond. He only heard the sound of her footsteps get farther and farther away before he could no longer hear any sign of her. He looked to his side, seeing the food she had brought, and greedily took the tray as he began to feast.

Dimitri was dead. Only the beast remained. And for that, he was truly sorry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really feeling out of it lately, so I'm glad I had written this a while ago now. That said, I'm struggling to focus on actually writing recently (in part because I have so many WIPs, in part because of other things), so apologies if the next chapter takes a while to come out.
> 
> That said, please stay tune! I'll try to get it out next week.
> 
> Upcoming: Chapter 5, Dedue


	5. Dedue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prince wants some air. Dedue follows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha remember when I said I would have this entire fic done by yesterday?
> 
> Sorry for the wait! I've been lacking in motivation and/or distracted by life stuff. I really had to sit on this chapter and I'm overall still not satisfied with it, but I would feel bad to keep y'all waiting, especially with how much I really enjoyed planning the final two chapters!

After a long war meeting discussing their march to Fhirdiad, the general decided he needed some fresh air. After four years of bearing a guilty conscience and doing nothing but preparing for his vengeance, living for what he believed in was a welcome change, one that made him feel...clear. He would still see the spirits on occasion, but he would do his best to not pay them any mind. It had only been a couple of days, but he already seemed to be doing better, which was enough for him for the time being.

As he found himself at the edge of a balcony, the cold wind blowing his cape behind him, he continued to think. Now that he was returning back to some semblance of sanity, the prince was determined to reconnect with his allies, with those who can somehow forgive him despite the atrocities he’s committed since they first met him. And looking out to the starry evening sky, he wondered if those passed would agree with his new path. They always haunted him before, telling him to avenge their deaths and bring to justice those that-

He shook his head. He couldn’t think about them like that. It wouldn’t do him any good to wonder if they would appreciate his new path, as they could not confirm or deny with any certainty in the afterlife while his soul dwelled in Fodlan.

Taking a deep breath, the prince looked up at the stars and tried to focus on their goal. They were to retake Fhirdiad this month. It means something that they are doing this. They are standing up for the poor and unfortunate souls stuck in Fhirdiad under Imperial rule, with no hope. But with his turn to help his kingdom and his people, perhaps he’d start his trek to atone for his sins. He wouldn’t be king after all of this, not with his red-stained hands.

His thoughts were interrupted by a set of footsteps moving behind him, getting slightly louder with each step. He didn’t turn around, continuing to stare at the night sky. It’d been years since he’d heard those footsteps, the weight and pace of them echoing in his mind as they did at the academy, but the prince recognized them well. When they ceased, there was silence for a few moments, only broken by the general’s sigh as he mumbled, “My friend...what can I help you with tonight?”

The voice that came confirmed his suspicions of who was with him as Dedue responded, “Your highness, I came to ensure your safety.” He remained behind him, out of view of his liege. The prince shook his head lightly, slightly frustrated with the lack of emotional connection they never seemed to be able to bridge. Dedue sensed that frustration and spoke again. “I understand that you wish to be alone, but I did not survive only to leave you unprotected.”

The prince shook his head, harder this time, turning toward his vassal. “Dedue, I do not want you to be here out of obligation,” the prince said, his tone indicating frustration, but not anger. Sadness, but not anguish. Quietly, he continued, “I want you to be here as my friend.”

“I’m sorry, Dimitri, but there’s no way I can do that so close to our retaking of Fhirdiad.”

The line was simple, but the way Dedue’s words were short, concise, with purpose, made Dimitri pause. He looked at his vassal, staring into his eyes. What he saw was a warrior that was determined and steadfast in his duty to do what needed to be done. One that wished for Dimitri’s safety, and he believed that would hold true regardless of their titles. The rock that he had leaned on for much of their days after the tragedy, the one that kept him going for years, and the one he once swore revenge for, Dedue was still there, unwavering and unmoving.

With a deep breath and a smile, Dimitri nodded at Dedue. “I thank you for your commitment. I’ll protect you just as well,” he stated, and as Dedue went to respond with a stern expression, Dimitri added, “and that’s an order. I won’t let either of us die.”

Dedue gave a moment of pause as he thought before nodded with a smile. “Yes, your highness.” Stepping forward, Dedue joined Dimitri at the balcony’s railings and stared out at the sky. Dimitri turned to join him with a smile, putting a hand on the Duscarian’s shoulder. They fought together many times, but this upcoming battle may be the most important time of their lives.

No matter. They had each other’s backs. Dimitri would make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedue is such a complex character that I still don't feel like I have a grasp on after reading their supports a few dozen times, but that happens sometimes. If I had a better grasp, I'd have made this chapter longer. Oh well!
> 
> Upcoming: Chapter 6, Ashe


	6. Ashe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The prince offers Ashe a meal. Their conversation is eye-opening for both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This is actually likely going to be improved upon for another fic idea I've had for a while, but I won't be posting that one in a while. Hope you enjoy!

“Oh, there you are, your highness!”

The prince looked up from his meal to see the silver haired archer he’d known back in school. Putting his utensils down, he smiled at the man approaching. “Ah, Ashe. It's been a while since we last spoke. May I offer you a meal?”

Ashe hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Yes, of course. I would be honored to have a meal with you.”

The prince’s eyes widened in, but he went to buy the meal of the day - a vegetable pasta salad that he often enjoyed when it was available - and the two sat back down to enjoy their meals. The prince thought for a moment, taking a few bites before putting his utensil down and looking at Ashe. “I’m surprised you accepted my offer. I recall a time you wouldn’t dare accept such an offer from me,” he noted, a curious glint in his eye as a small smile formed on his lips.

Ashe looked up, chewing a bite he had already put in his mouth by the time the blond had spoken. He chewed a few more times, swallowed, and responded, “Well, I took what you said at the academy to heart, your- uh, Dimitri.” Dimitri stared wide-eyed at the boy for a moment. Ashe used his name. Not his title, but his name. Ashe seemed to pick up on the internal dialogue and smiled, “I know we haven’t really spoken since then, but I really tried to focus on my friend Dimitri rather than the crown prince Dimitri.”

Dimitri felt his lips part a bit as he began to feel an unfamiliar feeling of familiarity with the man that stood before him. He couldn’t come up with anything to say, but the involuntary “Ashe…” that fell from his lips did not dissuade the archer from continuing on.

“I thought you were dead,” he said, a melancholy expression overtaking his entire body as his wrist and arm fell gently to the table, propping the fork he was using against the plate. He continued, “I had told you that I respected you, and I do. However, as difficult as it was for me to admit to myself, I quite enjoyed accompanying you. I wanted to be friends.” Ashe sighed, shaking his head as he let himself ramble, “When I got the news that you were dead...I was upset. But not just because you were the crowned prince, but because I lost a friend. And the longer time went on, the more I realized I had lost my chance.”

Dimitri dipped his head slightly, a feeling of guilt washing over him. “I’m sorry Ashe. I hadn’t meant to make you feel so horribly.”

But the archer shook his head. “It’s not your fault. I find it odd, though.” Ashe looked down at the food in front of him. “I found myself being less formal whenever thinking about you. It was,” a pause, as Ashe looked for the right words, “difficult to come to terms with.” He picked up his drink with his free hand and took a couple of sips, refreshing his throat.

Dimitri thought for a moment, taking in Ashe’s words. His supposed death had meant something to Ashe. So much so that he began to think about him as a friend rather than the prince that he had once said he was. Dimitri was not one to make light of such situations, though this was certainly tempting. He finally said, “A lot has changed,” and he had Ashe’s full attention. “Ashe, if you would, I’d love to have you as an officer of the Faerghus Royal Knights once this war is over.”

Ashe’s eyes widened, at first with a spark of joy, then with intense fear. “N-No, your highness, I couldn’t do that. I’m not the best fighter around, surely there are better people for the position.”

Dimitri shook his head. “Even if you were not the talented archer you are, that wouldn’t be why I would offer this position,” Dimitri started, smiling warmly as he continued “You see, an officer must have the best intentions and the best of hearts. They must be people I can trust. And I’m not sure there are many in the world I trust more than you.”

The archer blinked and thought for a moment, mouth agape at the words his friend vocalized. Dimitri let him ponder these words for a moment, watching as his face went from confusion, to conflicted, to proud as he stated, “If that’s the case, then I’d be happy to be of service, Dimitri. Thank you.”

With a laugh, the prince shook his head, “No, Ashe, thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upcoming: Chapter 7, Felix


	7. Felix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've taken Fhirdiad, and Felix makes a declaration to the new king.

Fhridiad was under the Faerghus Kingdom army’s control. He finally had taken back his own home. The new king stood within his old room, where he recalled the sounds of he and his friends playing and messing about in their early youth. To him, that seemed like eons ago, as if they were all different people from a different time entirely.

Maybe they were, he realized, looking out the window to see the city. He couldn’t see people, but he could see the lights and hear the music and cheers of the civilians as they paraded about the streets of Fhirdiad, both in relief that they were free from Imperial rule and in joy as their fallen king had risen again.

But had he? He didn’t deserve this, not simply for existing and staying alive. He had committed heinous acts of violence and vengeance, ones that should not so easily be forgotten. The lives he’s taken should not be left in the dust of his wake. He still had so much to do if he was ever to atone for these sins, and may the Goddess let him live long enough-

“I thought I’d find you here.”

The king was broken out of his thoughts as he turned to see the new Duke Fraldarius behind him, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed as he stared at his old friend. The larger man took a deep breath and tried to hide his discomfort with his own thoughts as he greeted “Felix, a pleasant surprise.” The swordsman was clearly not fooled by the poor facade as he rolled his eyes and marched in.

“Stop putting up an act. You’re depressed, Dimitri. Own it,” he scolded, his face slightly softer than a scowl as his brows knitted.

The king’s eyes widened for only a moment before he rebounded. “Perhaps you’re right. You always did hate how I pretended to be okay at the academy.” A pause as Dimitri looked back at the window, seeing fireworks blast over the rooftops of the cityscape. He was surprised for a moment but decided to wave it off and continued. “I don’t deserve to be king. To have this celebration. To have the support of this army.” He sighed, his eyes saddening as he looked down to the floor in front of him. “It’s all more than I deserve, Felix.”

Felix stepped next to him, joining Dimitri by the window. “Please. You can’t be so pathetic as to not understand how to fix this.” Dimitri looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow, his sorrowful expression still plastered plainly on his face. Felix rolled his eyes as he finished, “If you don’t deserve it now, work for it.”

Dimitri blinked. “What do you mean?”

Felix sighed, and his words, while not vicious, were not without their own sting. “Must I spell it out for you? Earn the support you don’t think you deserve. Earn your title as king.” Felix reached up and put his hand on Dimitri’s back, his face stern but sure as he said, “You have an army behind you who was willing to forgo their own goals in order to help you. They followed you away from the capital. If you don’t think you deserve it, that’s something you need to fix. Don’t expect us to leave you after all this.”

Dimitri looked down at Felix, his shorter friend’s words catching him off guard. Considering them, he raised an eyebrow slightly. “Even you? You seemed to hate me for 7 years now, Felix.”

Regret filled the king when Felix didn’t respond initially. The several seconds of silence was concerning, and Dimitri could feel a pit in his stomach form as he worried he had said too much. Felix had never had a great grasp on his feelings, and oft struggling to express or process them, so talking with him in such a vulnerable way was rare. Dimitri was about to apologize for his question but was swiftly cut off before he started by the swordsman. “I’d follow you into the battle anywhere. Just do me a favor and don’t go off on your own and get yourself killed.”

A chuckle found its way up Dimitri’s throat as he laughed lightly in response. Once his laugh had silenced itself, he nodded with a smile. “Of course, Felix. If you and the others have my back, I don’t think that will happen any time soon.”

There were a few moments of silence, both more comfortable to sit in silence together here than they have been since Duscur. They watched the fireworks for a time, and Dimitri almost felt like they were back to normal. That they had mended their friendship slowly, and they could finally say they trust each other, even if they disagreed on many things.

Eventually, the fireworks became boring to Felix as he turned to walk out the door. “Don’t wallow in sadness and pity for long. We still have a war to win.”

Dimitri twisted his body to watch Felix leave, a small smile arriving on his mouth as he nodded. “Yes. You’re right.”

Perhaps the Blaiddyd lineage no longer had their shield. Dimitri didn’t at least. But he had the Blade of Fraldarius, and that was enough for him. Especially if it meant he had his friend back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooooooo, finally done! This project was so fun (if a little challenging at times), and I'm pretty happy with how they all turned out. As much as I prefer the Golden Deer, I think I like a lot of the Blue Lions just as much, and I hope I did them all justice!
> 
> Also, this is definitely _was_ supposed to be platonic, but I wanted to feed you Dimilix shippers just a _little_ bit.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading all the way through! I'm gonna be taking a short break more than likely to get acquainted with my work/school schedule (I start on Monday), but I'll be outlining and drafting my next couple of projects. I'll probably talk a bit about them on my twitter account, so go ahead and follow me if you're interested in that (warning, I retweet a lot more than I tweet, so get ready for memes/art/shower thoughts). Here's the link: https://twitter.com/LancePuns
> 
> With all that done, hope y'all have a great day!


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